Theognete cozari Anderson, 2010

Anderson, Robert S., 2010, A taxonomic monograph of the Middle American leaf-litter inhabiting weevil genus Theognete Champion (Coleoptera: Curculionidae; Molytinae; Lymantini) 2458, Zootaxa 2458 (1), pp. 1-127 : 22-24

10. Theognete cozari Anderson , new species ( Figures 50 , 54 , 58 )

Diagnosis. Size. Length, male, 4.06–4.36 mm; female, 4.04–4.41mm. Width, male, 2.23–2.46mm; female, 2.38–2.72mm. As for T. championi except pronotum with dorsal, more posterior portion of tubercle subdivided into a lower, more posterior, distinctly sharper portion and a more anterior flat portion. Femora virtually impunctate. Aedeagus as in Fig. 54 .

Geographical distribution. México (Chiapas).

Natural history. Collected from berlese extraction of mixed mid-elevation montane forest litter at an elevation of 1000m.

Derivation of specific name. Named after Jesús Luna Cozar, coleopterist (student) at ECOSUR, San Cristóbal de las Casas, Chiapas, México.

Material examined. 4♂, 4♀♀ ( CMNC, ECOS, UNAM). Holotype ♂ ( UNAM): MÉXICO: Chiapas. Naha , 16.96291°N, 91.59335°W, 985m, 10.VI.2008, LLAMA Wm-A-07-1-01 / HOLOTYPE ♂, Theognete cozari sp. nov. R.S. Anderson. Genitalia dissected. Paratypes: MÉXICO. Chiapas. Municipio Ocosingo, Naha, Selva Lacandona “Ocotalito”, 16º56’56.8” N, 91º35’33.5” W, 1000m, 12–13.VII.2003, Jesús Luna Cozar, mixed montane forest litter (1♀, ECOS). Municipio Ocosingo, Naha, Selva Lacandona “Ocotalito”, 16º56’56.8” N, 91º35’33.5” W, 1000m, 12–13.VII.2003, R. Anderson, mixed montane forest litter, 2003- 109D (1♀, CMNC). Mpio. Ocosingo, Naha, 1000m, 16°58.450 N, 91°35.155 W, 15.VII.2007, R.Anderson, mixed montane wet forest litter, 2007-013 (1♀, CMNC). Mpio. Ocosingo, Naha, 1000m, 16°58.450 N, 91°35.155 W, 15.VII.2007, J.L. Cozar, mixed montane wet forest litter (1♀, CMNC). Municipio Ocosingo, Naha, 16.96291°N, 91.59335°W, 985m, 10.VI.2008, LLAMA Wm-A-07-1-01 (3♂ CMNC, ECOS) .

Chorological relationships. Sympatric only with T. zapatista .

Theognete denticulata species group

Recognition. The five species in the T. denticulata species group are recognized best by the combination of the sculpture of the thoracic sterna (especially of the prosternum), a more elongate elytral form with the widest part distinctly in front of the middle, a sparse and appressed dorsal vestiture (particularly on the elytra) and the form of the aedeagus. The prosternum is variously swollen immediately in front of the space between the coxae, but is not (4 species) to only slightly produced posteriad in quadrate form (1 species) between the coxae. A raised shelf is evident, variously impressed posteriorly under the swelling, but this impression is not deep and pit-like. The procoxae are variously separated and the mesocoxae widely so, and the mesosternal and metasternal excavations are deep, but not cavernous, and separate ( Fig. 6 ). The aedeagus (male not known for T. stefurinoi ) is short and robust (especially in lateral view), more lightly sclerotized than in any other Theognete species and has the apex rounded or truncate, not produced ( Figs. 64–67 ). Three of the five species have the apicomedial portion of ventrite 5 slightly to distinctly excavated ( Figs. 68, 71–72 ) and, in addition, all five species have a pair of isolated, relatively large and deep punctures basally or subbasally in the middle on ventrite 5 ( Figs. 68–72 ). Specimens of T. denticulata are easily recognized by the isodiametric microsculture of the pronotum ( Fig. 62 , inset) and in males by the distinct teeth on the inner margin of the middle and hind tibiae and by the deeply longitudinally impressed and inwardly tuberculate form of ventrite 1.

Diagnosis. Length 3.0–6.0 mm. Cuticle black. Legs moderate in length; femora with small fine punctures. Pronotal disk weakly to strongly cordate (4 species) or elongate (1 species); very finely punctate, not sculptured; with vestiture of very sparse, fine, appressed, not distinctly plumose scales more or less evenly distributed over disk (4 species) or concentrated in pair of paramedian clumps situated on low tubercles (1 species). Pronotum with flanks unsculptured. Elytral form elongate, distinctly widest in front of middle. Elytra smooth, lacking impressed striae (4 species) or with sutural stria slightly impressed (1 species); with vestiture of very sparsely scattered, fine, appressed, not distinctly plumose scales. Posterolateral area of elytra lacking punctures (4 species) or with series of 3–6 separate, variously impressed punctures (1 species). Procoxae narrowly (1 species) or moderately (3 species) or widely separated by about width of coxa (1 species). Mesocoxae separated by less than 1.5 x width of coxa (1 species) to more than 1.5x width of coxa (4 species). Prosternum variously swollen immediately in front of space between coxae, not produced (4 species) to only slightly produced posteriad in quadrate form (1 species) between coxae, raised shelf evident, variously impressed posteriorly under swelling, impression not deep and pit-like. Mesosternum with transverse, pit-like, usually pilose impression, bounded posteriorly by metasternum. Metasternum with deep transverse impression, with small pits or setose punctures laterally behind mesocoxae continuous with median impression (1 species) or with pits lacking (4 species). Abdominal ventrite 5 with apicomedian portion slightly to distinctly excavated (3 species) or not (2 species), with pair of relatively large, deep punctures basally or subbasally in middle. Aedeagus short and robust, lightly sclerotized, apex rounded or truncate, not produced; dorsally not sclerotized across base.

Comments. Members of this group are apparently restricted to cloud forest litter from 975–1700m in the Sierra Madre Oriental, but one species, T. stefurinoi , is found in the Sierra Madre de Oaxaca at 2200m in mixed oak forest litter. Specimens of Theognete stefurinoi are the largest in the genus.

Distribution. Click here for GoogleEarth® maps of T. denticulata species group distributions.

Key to species of T. denticulata species group

1 Body size larger than 5.5mm; pronotum strongly cordate, with cluster of suberect scales laterodorsally in anterior half on each side and with pair of paramedian clumps situated on low tubercles ( Fig. 63 ); procoxae separated by distance equal to width of coxa; elytra laterally with tufts or clumps of suberect scales ( Fig. 63 ) ................ T. stefurinoi

1’ Body size smaller than 5.1mm; pronotum weakly cordate or elongate, with scales appressed to very slightly arched and scattered ( Figs. 59–62 ); procoxae separated by distance much shorter than width of coxa; elytral scales scattered, no clumps or tufts present ( Figs. 59–62 ) ............................................................................................................ 2

2 Pronotum with surface shining, no evident microsculpture; pronotum and especially elytra elongate ( Fig. 61 ); aedeagus as in Fig. 66 .......................................................................................................................................... T. fulgida

2’ Pronotum with surface matte, with isodiametric microsculpture; pronotum weakly cordate, elytra rounded ( Figs. 59– 60, 62 ) .......................................................................................................................................................................... 3

3 Elytra with disk flattened in middle, with striae 1 (2 and 3 also but less so) deeply linearly impressed for a short length in this flat area ( Fig. 62 ); male with middle and hind tibiae with distinct sharp teeth along inner margin; abdomen with ventrite 1 deeply longitudinally impressed, sides of impression near apex inwardly tuberculate; aedeagus as in Fig. 67 ............................................................................................................................................. T. denticulata

3’ Elytra with disk convex in middle, striae not impressed; male with middle and hind tibiae with inner margin simple; abdomen with ventrite 1 sloping anteriad but not otherwise impressed or tuberculate ................................................ 4

4 Abdomen with ventrite 5 with pair of large basal punctures and median row of 4 smaller punctures, the middle 2 confluent and appearing as a short transverse impression, no apical excavation ( Fig. 68 ); aedeagus as in Fig. 64 ...... ................................................................................................................................................................... T. caviventris

4’ Abdomen with ventrite 5 with subbasal pair of punctures and with median area excavate ( Fig. 69 ); aedeagus as in Fig. 65 ..................................................................................................................................................... T. thibodeaui

Figures

FIGURES 47–50. Habitus, dorsal view, Theognete laevis species group. 47. T. laevis. 48. T. championi. 49. T. janzeni. 50. T. cozari.

FIGURES 51–54. Aedeagus, dorsal and lateral view, Theognete laevis species group. 51. T. laevis. 52. T. championi. 53. T. janzeni. 54. T. cozari.

FIGURES 55–58. Abdominal ventrite 5, male, ventral view, Theognete laevis species group. 55. T. laevis. 56. T. championi. 57. T. janzeni. 58. T. cozari.

FIGURES 2–7. Thoracic sterna, ventral view, Theognete species. 2. T. gracilis. 3. T. striatifemur. 4. T. fulgida. 5. T. semistriata. 6. T. caviventris. 7. T. bothynometopon.

FIGURES 64–67. Aedeagus, dorsal and lateral view, Theognete denticulata species group. 64. T. caviventris. 65. T. thibodeaui. 66. T. fulgida. 67. T. denticulata.

FIGURES 68–72. Abdominal ventrite 5, male and female, ventral view, Theognete denticulata species group. 68. T. caviventris, male. 69. T. thibodeaui, male. 70. T. fulgida, male. 71. T. denticulata, male. 72. T. stefurinoi, female.

FIGURES 59–63. Habitus, dorsal view, Theognete denticulata species group. 59. T. caviventris. 60. T. thibodeaui. 61. T. fulgida. 62. T. denticulata. 63. T. stefurinoi.